The level of playability and aesthetic standards on golf course greens are ever increasing with the detection and analysis of turf cut imperfections being critical to ball play. It is not only important to perform such turf quality inspections, but it is of arguably greater importance to do so in a quick, consistent and repetitive manner so as to be in a position to make meaningful mowing adjustments and or modifications with minimal down-time.
Generally, turf imperfections take the form of turf height discrepancies. Seasonal growth patterns, increased density of grass, and normal build up all have an effect on the height of cut and measured turf height, and thereby the effective height of the turf cut (i.e., the difference between the bench setting and the measured height of cut). Furthermore, issues pertaining to the quality of cut (i.e., cut characteristics) often arise, necessitating close scrutiny of the turf along the top surface of the grass and downward along the leaf to the crown and below. Such quality of cut characteristics may include: stragglers, which create a shaggy cut which may be vulnerable to thatch build up; streaks, which appear as dark ridges caused by an uneven or damaged bed knife; disrupted grain usually resulting from improper cutting technique or inconsistent turf types; scalping, caused by cutter misadjustment or spongy turf; and mismatch, typically found where cutting units improperly overlap.
As grounds keepers are challenged to assess a multitude of cut turf characteristics and remediate surface imperfections, it is important to minimize down time for trial and error cutting tests after reel adjustment, loss of roller adjustment or replacement of bed knife of rollers etc. when imperfections are detected. Current turf measuring devices are limited to assessing turf height discrepancies over a fixed length or area. Furthermore, tools for inspecting the quality of the turf cut tend to be limited to horizontal views, views that are taken from a fixed vantage point.
It is desirable to have a turf inspection instrument that can measure turf height and height of cut while permitting quick, easy precise inspection of representative turf areas from the ground surface to the turf surface. It is further desirable to have an optical instrument which offers a horizontal view at the turf's maintained height and an expanded depth of field (i.e., expanded area of vision) so as to permit a more meaningful observation of the turf characteristics without the heretofore know field of vision restrictions or limitations. Furthermore, it is advantageous to provide an enhanced vertical view of the subject turf area below the turf's maintained height. It is also critical that measurements of turf height are in fact made in reference to the ground surface (i.e., the instrument should penetrate the turf as opposed to resting thereupon).